Honour Jesus by Serving Others in His Name

 “But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭22‬:‭26‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Dr. Luke records, “But this is not your calling. You will lead by a different model. The greatest one among you will live as one called to serve others without honor. The greatest honor and authority is reserved for the one who has a servant heart.  In Hebrew culture in the days of Jesus, the firstborn of the household had honour, while the youngest accepted the role of menial service to all the others of the house.  In the Kingdom of God, as Paul tells us, Jesus is the Head of the Body, the Church, Who is the Beginning, the Firstborn  from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.  Jesus has the place of honour in our hearts where we enthrone Him.  He came to serve and having done that through the Cross, He is the only One Who gets the honour.  Jesus was responding, at that time, to the disciples argument of who of them is the greatest.  His response was unexpected for the disciples and for those Christians today who expect honour to their status!  Jesus’s response is the same today as it was then.  Serve others if you expect to be honoured.  Jesus Christ, the Faithful Witness, the Firstborn from the dead, and the Ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him Who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own Blood.  Let’s honour the Lord Jesus, by serving others.  Amen!

Be Quick to Forgive

 “An angry man stirreth up strife, And a furious man aboundeth in transgression. A man's pride shall bring him low: But honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭29‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Wisdom from above says, “The source of strife is found in an angry heart, for sin surrounds the life of a furious man. Lift yourself up with pride and you will soon be brought low, but a meek and humble spirit will add to your honor.”  Strife is the work of the flesh when we don’t give importance to our relationships and take offence and harbour grudges.  Pride and ego keep us from either seeking forgiveness or forgiving others.  If we want to live honourably, meekness and humility is key to our behaviour pattern.  When we remember that God made Jesus Who knew no sin, to become sin for us so that we in Christ would become the righteousness of God, we are in awe of the humility of Jesus our Lord.  Grace is the power of God to enable us to release the faith of Jesus Christ to overcome our challenges, instead of taking offence or harbouring grudges.  We who believe in the Lord Jesus know that we are crucified with Christ, nevertheless we live; yet not we but Christ lives in us and the life we live in the flesh, we live by the faith of the Son of God Who loves us and gave Himself for us.  Let’s be quick to forgive, quick not to take offence, and to not harbour grudges in our heart.  Thank You Jesus!

Persevering in Our Passion for Christ

 “And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭21‬:‭27‬-‭28‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Dr. Luke records, Jesus saying - “And at last, when you see how the Son of Man comes—surrounded with a cloud, with great power and miracles, in the radiance of His splendour, and with great glory and praises—it will make you jump for joy! For the time of your full transformation has arrived.”  Jesus is the Son of God Who became a Man.  It is our privilege to believe even when we can’t see, that the Lord Jesus is always surrounded with the radiance of His splendour, in great glory and praises.  It is our faith as those belonging to Christ, who are redeemed and liberated by the Blood of Jesus, from the shackles of deception, sin and the enemy of our souls to believe in the majesty of our risen Lord.  As we persevere in our passion for the Lord Jesus Christ, we are coming into the total transformation of our body, soul and spirit, when we see Him as He is.  May the God of peace and harmony set us apart, making us completely holy. And may our entire being—spirit, soul, and body—be kept completely flawless in the appearing of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One.  Amen!

The Church Releases the Victory of the Cross

 “As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; So is a wicked ruler over the poor people. The prince that wanteth understanding is also a great oppressor: But he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭28‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Wisdom from above says, “Ruthless rulers can only be compared to raging lions and roaming bears. Abusive leaders fail to employ wisdom, but leaders who despise corruption will enjoy a long and full life.”  David, before he killed Goliath, went after the lion and the bear and dealt soundly with them!  These beasts represented demonic forces of evil over the land   Daniel also mentions ruthless world leaders as lions and bears.  “Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. “And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’ “After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.”  Abusive leaders devour like a hungry lion and unjust leaders will trample like a bear.  But thank God that He has given the Church to release the victory of the Cross, this exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.  Amen!

David’s Son & David’s Lord

 “And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies thy footstool. David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son?”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭20‬:‭43‬-‭44‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Dr. Luke records, ““Haven’t you read in the Psalms where David himself wrote: The Lord Yahweh said to My Lord, ‘Sit near Me in the place of authority until I subdue all Your enemies under Your feet!’ ” Jesus explained, “If David calls this One ‘my Lord,’ how can He be his son?””  In Hebrew translation, David wrote “Yahweh said to my Adonai” which paraphrased reads “The LORD God said to my protecting Lord Messiah”.  Jesus is quoting from David’s psalm and He was yet to make all God’s enemies become a footstool under His Feet, by dying on the Cross and rising again the third day.  Jesus was challenging the people to know that the Christ is both God and Man, David’s Son and David’s Lord.  Jesus as the Son of Man, made a public spectacle of all the powers and principalities of darkness, stripping away from them every weapon and all their spiritual authority and power to accuse mankind.  And by the Power of the Cross, Jesus led them around as prisoners in a procession of triumph. He was not their prisoner; they were His!  This is the exceeding greatness of God’s power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be Head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all.  Jesus is the Son of Man and the Son of God, David’s Son and David’s Lord.  Hallelujah!

The Word of God our Only Opinion

 “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; But to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭27‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭KJV‬

Wisdom from above says, “You can trust a friend who wounds you with his honesty, but your enemy’s pretended flattery comes from insincerity. When your soul is full, you turn down even the sweetest honey. But when your soul is starving, every bitter thing becomes sweet.”  Wounds by a loved one are long lasting, effective and faithful.  Whereas flatterers are hollow, even when they kiss you - you never know where you stand with them and it’s dangerous to take their words and kisses to heart.  When we are full of many things and many opinions, the sweet Word of God, like revelation honey, is spurned.  Instead, we eat and fill our souls with things that can never satisfy.  For our spiritual growth and maturity, we all need to be corrected by the Word of God as it is God speaking to us. Remember, when our human parents disciplined us, we respected them. If that was true, shouldn't we respect and live under the correction of the Father of all spirits even more? Our earthly fathers trained us for a few brief years, doing the best for us that they knew how, but God's correction is always right and for our best good, that we may share His holiness.  Let’s make the Word of God our only opinion and speak it forth to others as well as to ourselves.  Amen!

Be the Temple of God and Reveal Christ in You

 “And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭19‬:‭45‬-‭46‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Dr. Luke writes, “Jesus entered the temple area and forcibly threw out all the merchants from their stalls. He rebuked them, saying, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Father’s house is to be filled with prayer—a house of prayer, not a cave of bandits!’ ”  The Gospel of the Lord Jesus can never be traded for money.  Freely we have received and freely we give.  The only time when Jesus used force was when people mixed the goodness of God with money.  It was prophesied, Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, “Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” says the Lord.  “And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices Will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”  Our personal relationship with Almighty God can never be misused.  Through the defeat of sin and death, our Lord Jesus has sent His mighty Holy Spirit to make us the temple of God.  As the apostle told, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.”  Let’s walk in the consciousness that the Holy Spirit dwells in us to show Jesus to the world around us, let’s reveal Jesus through us.  Amen!

Christ is our Wisdom

 “As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, So honour is not seemly for a fool.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭26‬:‭1‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Wisdom from above says, “It is totally out of place to promote and honor a fool, just like it’s out of place to have snow in the summer and rain at harvest time.”  Both snow and rain are good in their proper season but harmful in the wrong season.  So is it harmful for a fool if you affirm him and honour him prematurely.  The Scripture has defined fools as, ‘The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”’  Only the withering soul would say to himself, “There’s no God for me!” Anyone who thinks like that is corrupt and callous; depraved and detestable, they are devoid of what is good. In today’s world such people are honoured, but according to the Word the one who fooled first was the father of lies and since then has been fooling people that there is no God.  Such people have tried to fool others. These people have gone out into the world. They don't agree that Jesus Christ came in a human body. People like this try to trick others. These people are like the great enemy of Christ. Eventually, the devil who fooled all of them will be thrown into the lake of fire and burning sulfur. He will be there with the beast and the false prophet, and they will be in pain day and night forever and ever.  Let’s live in the faith that overcomes, which is our victory - the victory that Jesus won for us at the Cross.  Let’s live to honour God in Christ because Christ has become to us the wisdom of God.  Amen! 

How Much More the Blood of Christ

 “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.are I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭18‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Dr. Luke writes, The religious leader stood apart from the others and prayed, ‘How I thank You, O God, that I’m not wicked like everyone else. They’re cheaters, swindlers, and crooks—like that tax collector over there. God, You know that I never cheat or commit adultery; I fast from food twice a week and I give You a tenth of all I earn.’  The tax collector stood alone in a corner, away from the Holy Place, and covered his face in his hands, feeling that he was unworthy even to look up to God. Beating his breast, he sobbed with brokenness and tears saying, ‘God, please, in Your mercy and because of the blood sacrifice, forgive me, for I am nothing but the most miserable of all sinners!’  The LORD God Almighty hates self righteousness, the pride that makes you feel superior to others - it was the same pride that led to Lucifer’s fall to become satan.  The tax collector’s humility in prayer led to him scourging his breast in genuine repentance, as he said to God, “Look at me as you look at the blood-sprinkled mercy seat.”  Today, how much more shall the Blood of Christ, Who  through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse our conscience from dead works to serve the living God?  Let’s cast aside self-righteousness and come before God in genuine sorrow, looking at the Blood Sacrifice of the Lamb of God that takes away our sin, and receive grace at heaven’s Mercy Seat.  Amen!

Anointed by the Anointed One

 “Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift Is like clouds and wind without rain.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭25‬:‭14‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Wisdom from above says, “Clouds that carry no water and a wind that brings no refreshing rain — that’s what you’re like when you boast of a gift that you don’t have.”  The symbols of clouds, wind and rain are significant.  Clouds are often a metaphor for the people of God filled with glory. The writer of Hebrews says, “As for us, we have all of these great witnesses who encircle us like clouds”.  Wind is an emblem of the Holy Spirit bringing new life, as John explains, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”  Rain often points to teaching the revelation-truths that refresh and water the seeds of spiritual growth.  That’s how Isaiah tells, ““For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”  God’s anointed people are to be clouds carried by the wind of the Holy Spirit that bring refreshing truths to His people.  When we are empty and false, we are clouds without rain.  As Peter puts it, “These people are dried-up riverbeds, waterless clouds pushed along by stormy winds—the deepest darkness of gloom has been prepared for them.”  Let’s be God’s anointed people instead, those who have the Anointed One dwelling in us, like clouds carried by the wind of the Holy Spirit that bring revelation truths to refresh others.  Amen!